A review on a performance by performace basis for Dark Star. This song is in the top 500 recorded songs according to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
231 show(s) found
date venue city state
9/3/67 - Dance Hall, Rio Nido, CA

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12/13/67 - Shrine Exhibition Hall, Los Angeles, CA

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1/22/68 - Eagles Auditorium, Seattle, WA

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This guide has been updated by ChinaRider79. He gave me the code for the clickable links. So now if you see a date that is linked that means it has been reiewed.

1967-11-14 American Studios
The first Dark Star on the list was a part of the single with Born Cross-Eyed. This studio version clocks in at 2:56. Even in this primitive studio version you can feel the openness that would lead to the improvisational piece that it became. However, this is not the same version that can be found on What A Long Strange Trip It's Been. This is an instrumental version on LMA.

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1968-01-17 Carousel Ballroom
The first known live performance on the archive. It sounds like Garcia's vocals are almost Pigpen like. This version clocks in a little under 5 minutes. The song still has the normal song structure. There is nothing too experimental with this. However, it is interesting to note that Dark Star plays into China Cat Sunflower. Also the energy of this Dark Star is very mellow, at the most it seems rushed.

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(i prefer this version 7995)

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1968-01-20 Eureka Municipal Auditorium
This Dark Star is matched for the first time with the Spanish Jam (Spanish>Caution Jam>DS). On most copies of this concert Dark Star lasts under 2 minutes. Although there is one copy with Spanish>Caution Jam>DS on one track clocking in at 11:39. From what I can tell though the Spanish Jam lasts for about 10 minutes. I am willing to say this might be the first time the band decided to see what a Dark Star could do. Even if the Dark Star itself is rather short. Phil's driving bass line from Spanish leads the band into a frenzy like only 1968 could into a short lived Caution Jam. There is one version of this show with Dark Star clocking in around 3 minutes. It is also interesting to note that there is no copy of this show with a completed DS. The tape is cut and you can never hear the ending.

Best version(longest):

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Other versions include but are limited and some don't even have a DS on it.

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(NO DS)

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(mislabeled NO Caution mentioned, also about 15 seconds of DS)

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Last edited by dogstarz on Tue May 11, 2010 11:38 am; edited 34 times in total

So, you're going to listen to everyone and write a review?
$10 says you don't make it to the end. Not saying its you... just saying... if you added up the time required to listen to all of them... let's give them a 20 minute average time... it's around 77 hours of Dark Stars...

That is approximately 25-26 x 3 hour shows...

One thing in your favor, they get out there so far that it would certainly be easier than listening to 231 Bird Songs or something.

So, you're going to listen to everyone and write a review?
$10 says you don't make it to the end. Not saying its you... just saying... if you added up the time required to listen to all of them... let's give them a 20 minute average time... it's around 77 hours of Dark Stars...

That is approximately 25-26 x 3 hour shows...

One thing in your favor, they get out there so far that it would certainly be easier than listening to 231 Bird Songs or something.

Ha Ha. This is going to take some time. After not listening to the dead for a while (about 2 weeks) I figured this would be the best way to jump back in.

Although I understand the comment "Not saying its you..." haha sorry about the lapsed art project. Although I have listened to about 100 of these already. At one point in time I would only DL a show if Dark Star was in it.

"That is approximately 25-26 x 3 hour shows... " also only listening to the Dark Stars not entire shows. At the most maybe listenin to song x>dark star>song x.

I am not opposed to anyone wanting to help though. If you do just PM me and we can work something out.

I am pretty sure most people have heard this show or at the very least the Eyes
Of The World from this famed show. This Dark Star comes out of Estimated
Prophet. A rather good mix to my ears. Branford pretty much dominates the
beginning with Garcia noodling the familiar notes. The jam sequence at the
beginning I believe highlights every musician rather well. When the words are
finally sung I believe Garcia's voice is a little rough around the edges. Then
again who am I to complain when the music is so "on". After the first verse is
sang the jam opens itself to a spacey field. As if the diamonds just fell from
the sky and landed in Nassau. I have to mention Brent's playing is near perfect
as the landscape open into space. This version of Dark Star reminds me of a
journey to HellVen. In which it sounds like you are going below the earth only
to find yourself in the outer realms of the atmosphere looking down. Phil lays
down the bass line in such a way that could only be described as nuclear fall
out coming out of the sky. The music mellows down to almost a sublime feel of
how did we get here? The drummers seem to get a little inpatient as they start
to play a little faster only adding to the musical confusion. Branford answers
back in a big way keeping them at bay just for a little longer. Finally, Drumz
starts keeping the tempo going. The Rhythm Devils keep the madness going for around 9 minutes officially starting this amazing Dark Star sandwich. Near the end of Drumz Mickey's beam(?) sounds like a plane crashing which leads us to Space. Branford adds much to this space. This is dreaminess at its best. Space then makes it way back to this notes that are so familiar. This time Dark Star stays focused and less adventurous as it was previously played this night. The second verse is sang to finish the song. Then the music meanders to a wonderful Wheel.

The copy I listened to (there are about 10 copies of this show, I have this one and Aud on my iTunes):

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Hell yeah DS, I actually listened to this last night after you mentioned it.
Amazing stuff... beats the Dark Star from 6/23/74 easily I think.

Marsalis is key... jazz improv... doing the unexpected noises in the unexpected moments. He mainly fills, so it doesn't take away from Jerry's performance. If anything, it highlights it. You could argue that Brent is out of the rotation due to Marsalis a bit, but not really, as he is busy putting out the really spacey sounds in the background that make me feel like I am floating, without hope of rescue, through beautiful space. He doesn't ever really do his standard fills during this song due to its nature anyhow. Bransford makes this top tier.

Hell yeah DS, I actually listened to this last night after you mentioned it.
Amazing stuff... beats the Dark Star from 6/23/74 easily I think.

Marsalis is key... jazz improv... doing the unexpected noises in the unexpected moments. He mainly fills, so it doesn't take away from Jerry's performance. If anything, it highlights it. You could argue that Brent is out of the rotation due to Marsalis a bit, but not really, as he is busy putting out the really spacey sounds in the background that make me feel like I am floating, without hope of rescue, through beautiful space. He doesn't ever really do his standard fills during this song due to its nature anyhow. Bransford makes this top tier.

With Branford in the lead position for much of this Dark Star, I think Brent did an amazing job. The notes he played when everything went chaotic was a blissful experience to my ears.

So... now you are cherry picking the good ones? I mean, I know there is a ton... but you don't want to end up facing a list of Woodstock & Rotterdam & 12/6/73 DS's...
Well, maybe I wouldn't... I think you like this song way more than I do, so you probably won't mind.
I have always thought DS was a tad overrated.

So... now you are cherry picking the good ones? I mean, I know there is a ton... but you don't want to end up facing a list of Woodstock & Rotterdam & 12/6/73 DS's...
Well, maybe I wouldn't... I think you like this song way more than I do, so you probably won't mind.
I have always thought DS was a tad overrated.

After that Halloween 91 DS it will be a random one. I am thinking about diving head first into the early 70's. Maybe a 72 or 73 or even 71. I was goin to try to listen to them in order, that seemed to become a little boring though. Also I have tried to incorporate the Album Art Project with this. So hopefully, there will be 231 new covers up as well.

So... now you are cherry picking the good ones? I mean, I know there is a ton... but you don't want to end up facing a list of Woodstock & Rotterdam & 12/6/73 DS's...
Well, maybe I wouldn't... I think you like this song way more than I do, so you probably won't mind.
I have always thought DS was a tad overrated.

I would be more than happy to review the Rotterdam and Cleveland Dark Stars. How you can single these out for criticism out of all the Dark Stars out there is an absolute mystery to me. Woodstock, sure. '84 breakout encore, sure (tho cool for it being a breakout, this is not a good performance.)

So... now you are cherry picking the good ones? I mean, I know there is a ton... but you don't want to end up facing a list of Woodstock & Rotterdam & 12/6/73 DS's...
Well, maybe I wouldn't... I think you like this song way more than I do, so you probably won't mind.
I have always thought DS was a tad overrated.

I would be more than happy to review the Rotterdam and Cleveland Dark Stars. How you can single these out for criticism out of all the Dark Stars out there is an absolute mystery to me. Woodstock, sure. '84 breakout encore, sure (tho cool for it being a breakout, this is not a good performance.)

Sheesh. You kids today and your short attention spans.

I like the Cleveland shows myself.(my hometown) You can have them if you want. Just try to remember to put a link up (not nessecarily the best one on archive unless you feel the need for it).

I like the Cleveland shows myself.(my hometown) You can have them if you want. Just try to remember to put a link up (not nessecarily the best one on archive unless you feel the need for it).

No, that's cool. I was just venting. I just find it funny how the 12/6 Dark Star gets so dissed on this forum when just about everywhere else it is praised to high heaven. Maybe it's just too challenging for them....

I don't think the Woodstock Dark Star is that bad, considering they were all dosed into another dimension, I actually think it is pretty good. Come on, they are hippies at Woodstock. It is just a mellow piece, and sometimes I want mellow. The whole recording is pretty funny if you listen to the stage banter too before DS. Decide for yourself.

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I like the Cleveland shows myself.(my hometown) You can have them if you want. Just try to remember to put a link up (not nessecarily the best one on archive unless you feel the need for it).

No, that's cool. I was just venting. I just find it funny how the 12/6 Dark Star gets so dissed on this forum when just about everywhere else it is praised to high heaven. Maybe it's just too challenging for them....

Nothing challenging about music that puts us to sleep.
I have listened to all three of them... one literally put me to sleep... the other two I find too abstract, no energy nor beauty, just odd noises barely relating to each other. I like that in Space... but not for 40 minutes...

Last edited by Kochman on Sat Mar 21, 2009 6:53 pm; edited 1 time in total

I think the long abstract Dark Stars have much more structure to them than people realize. That's what I like about them.

Anyway, little factiod about the 11-12/73 Dark Stars. Comet Kohoutek which was supposed to arrive in December 1973 was being touted as the "comet of the century"and apparently a LOT of musicians in that era composed music in its honor, including Sun Ra, Kraftwerk and Journey!!

Check out this sweet graphic!! Someone should plot Dead shows on that same timeline!!

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I like the Cleveland shows myself.(my hometown) You can have them if you want. Just try to remember to put a link up (not nessecarily the best one on archive unless you feel the need for it).

No, that's cool. I was just venting. I just find it funny how the 12/6 Dark Star gets so dissed on this forum when just about everywhere else it is praised to high heaven. Maybe it's just too challenging for them....

Trust me my friend as a veteran of being in the presence of many a DS there is nothing challenging about 12/6/73. Length does not tranlate to greatness. 12/6/73 goes nowhere. It's tedious and boring. I do not find many people here who diss that particular version. I guess it boils down to personal preference. Gimme 9/27/72 into Cumberland,7/12/90 one of the most eclectic pieces of music by the Dead EVER and my personal favorite 8/1/73. BTW isn't the LIVE DEAD version considered by most "THE ONE?" and it clocks in at a mere 23 minutes

Trust me my friend as a veteran of being in the presence of many a DS there is nothing challenging about 12/6/73. Length does not tranlate to greatness. 12/6/73 goes nowhere. It's tedious and boring. I do not find many people here who diss that particular version. I guess it boils down to personal preference.

Well, if that's "nowhere" then I don't want to be somewhere! I don't think the length is what makes it great. As a big fan of the Miles Davis stuff from that era (In a Silent Way and especially Bitches Brew), I love how adventurous it is and how "out there" it gets. There's something very appealing to me about the era that gave birth to jazz-rock fusion -- and the Dead really tapped into that. Keith, in particular, seemed to really thrive in these abstract jams. In my mind, that's what Dark Star is all about. 12/6 is a good track to put on while you're cleaning the house or taking a long drive. Or if you just want to pop a crazy pill and space out for a while. Maybe some of that is lost if you're standing on the floor at a show.

Anyway, I don't see any point in further debating the merits of the 12/6 Dark Star. Some love it. Some hate it. It's a matter of taste. Mainly I just find it odd how often it gets bashed on this forum (You, Koch, Dude, Swami (?)) given how often it appears in others' 'top five' lists. To each his own, I guess.

This Dark Star is played out of PITB and it is a decent segue. Nothing to really brag about. Honestly this Dark Star is nothing to brag about. It is well played but the beginning of it doesn't really have a jam section in it. Mainly the intro riff played a couple of times. Although I do dig Garcia's midi acoustic sound. It gives the song a layed back feel. The song sounds like it can go places, it really does but it ends aprubtly and the band starts Terrapin. This is a poor excuse for a Dark Star in my opinion.

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This Dark Star is played out of PITB and it is a decent segue. Nothing to really brag about. Honestly this Dark Star is nothing to brag about. It is well played but the beginning of it doesn't really have a jam section in it. Mainly the intro riff played a couple of times. Although I do dig Garcia's midi acoustic sound. It gives the song a layed back feel. The song sounds like it can go places, it really does but it ends aprubtly and the band starts Terrapin. This is a poor excuse for a Dark Star in my opinion.

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Buried in between a Scarlet>Fire and a Terrapin>Playin... you can't really complain too much! I believe there was some sort of history regarding Philly and the last Philly Dark Star... you might want to look that up... I read this one was a gimme... it is probably the shortest Dark Star post 68 out there.

The PITB and the Terrapin surrounding it were really pretty good. I didn't get a chance to listen to the S>F though. Your right I really can't complain. Although since this is a Dark Star project, I am really not taking into consideration the rest of the show.

The PITB and the Terrapin surrounding it were really pretty good. I didn't get a chance to listen to the S>F though. Your right I really can't complain. Although since this is a Dark Star project, I am really not taking into consideration the rest of the show.

Fair enough, the whole show need not be considered, but an epic setting like that might justify the segment (1st set, pre drums, or post space)...
Anyhow, this is probably the best show of 93, so you might want to check it all out when you get the chance.

I started this listening from Drums>Space. The drums are rather trippy almost

with techno like effects. Then space comes in. This only continues the

trippiness. However this space is almost dreamy leading towards the beauty side

of things. Then the intro riff is played with near perfection out of space.

Garcia noodles a little in a floaty way. Vinny and Phil keep the energy going.

It really takes no time for the first and only verse sang to come in. Garcia's

voice is strong especially during the "shall we go?..." part. After the verse

is sang it is time for some open ended jamming. Phil is really driving this

song while Vinny plays around with effects making this a rather trippy version

for a late era DS. The drummers do a good job although in this mix they are

almost to much in the background for me. Garcia leads the band to a peak of the

song that begins around 4:38. I am really enjoying the synth from Vince. It has

a nice feel that belongs in this song.(I am not a purist).

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<img src="http://www.psilo.com/dead/images/passes/b920608.jpg">

Nice. I'm partial to this somewhat understated Dark Star because I was there and it was my home turf. It's not all that adventurous, but what there is of it is really nice. Hard to argue with the MLB jam> Drums> Space> Dark Star. Segue into 'Last Time' is pretty nice too, even if it comes a bit too early for my taste. Agree that Vince sounds great on this one.

This was a good Dark Star overall. I am from Cleveland myself so I naturally have a biased opinion on the Richfield Shows. I remember when the Cavs played there. I saw them against a Jordanless Bulls. The Bulls still won. Pippen was everywhere that game.

This was a good Dark Star overall. I am from Cleveland myself so I naturally have a biased opinion on the Richfield Shows. I remember when the Cavs played there. I saw them against a Jordanless Bulls. The Bulls still won. Pippen was everywhere that game.

Cool dude! I saw the Cavs vs. Jordan and the Bulls at the Coliseum pre-championship years, if that dates me at all. I saw a ton of concerts there too -- AC/DC, Rush, Aerosmith, G&FR. Ah the 80s!

This is the first Dark Star of the 80's. The last time this was played was January 20, 1979. With this being said I would have to call this a nice break out. This is also Brent's first Dark Star. He takes to it rather well.His playing can be highlighted at the beginning of the song for sure. However, this also gives it that smooth jazz sound that I am not a big fan of. Garcia seems extremely laid back in this intro jam. I really can't blame him or the band for being a bit tired. They were Joan Baez's backing band when she opened for them this night. Then they already played 2 full sets of Dead electric music. This is the first song of the first encore or set 3. Depending on how you look at it I suppose. The lyrics almost seemed rushed at first but compliment the music in the background. After the first verse Jerry and Bobby exchange riffs back and forth for a beautiful sound. I am sorry if I keep talking about Brent here but he seems to be the MVP on this. His note selection is very mellow and subdued. This is the exact definition of dreamy. It has energy in the foreground but beauty in the back. The drummers push the energy up a notch as Garcia responds. This only leads to more of dreamscape soundtrack. I might also be a little biased on this because I am a fan of 81. The band was in full throttle. Atleast in my ears they were. If you listen to this make sure you check out the 9 minute mark for the beginning of some excellent Brent and Jerry work. It is interesting to me that it seems Brent plays better with Jerry, considering he came from the Bob Weir Band and Bobby and the Midnites. Garcia's guitar is in perfect tone when he turns on the distortion allowing Bob and Brent to form a short lived direction. Around the 13 minute mark the main riff is introduced again. Bob bends his strings during this section which just sounds magnificient. The band finally reaches the second verse. With Brent following Jerry's vocals in an almost rain drop effect. After the second verse the band plays the main riff one more time before exploring the options of another song. This band was on fire that night as they segue into a great Bertha. I also want to point out that this is the first time I have ever heard those two songs matched. Bertha isn't exactly a high energy version but it still sounds good. Check out Good Lovin' at the end of this set. That is where the energy was hiding.

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I love that segue from Dark Star > Bertha. Bertha comes from the ashes!

I have to agree. It is one of the smoother segues I have heard recently doing the DS project. Really that whole 3rd set was well played. The Baby Blue encore with Joan Baez was also a nice ending to the show.

This Dark Star is a show opener. Which I will put in the same regards as a Shakedown or Eyes opener. I have listened to some of the songs on this show and that theory is correct. This show is a complete mindlblowing experience.To get back to the DS. The intro jam weaves itself into first verse. Garcia's vocals are young on strong on this. After listening to some 90's versions of DS this is a welcome change in vocal styles. Pigpen was absent from this show. Garcia's tone is near perfect as he breaks into a solo. The notes chosen by Garcia around 11 minutes are pure beauty. After this Bob and Phil start to bring back the main riff. Garcia will have none of that as he continues to noodle into another realm. Check out the musical interplay from both guitars around 12:43. This is overall an amazing jam. Finally, around 13:43 Garcia decides its time to bring it home by playing the main riff. Then he shortly follows into the second verse. Once again this verse is sung near perfectly. I also want to point out the "transitive nightfall of diamonds" part was also sung by Phil and maybe Bob. The the song is played into St. Stephen to a great effect. Overall this is not a bad Dark Star. It has moments of slowness. Don't let that scare you away though.

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I thought that Pig was at one of the two nights? I looked it up, and you are right, he wasn't He was out of both.

That 10/13 you said was cut, that may be a source issue... I have an import CD of it, and I don't recall any cut at the beginning, but it has been some time since I listened to it.
I could hook you up with it...

I thought that Pig was at one of the two nights? I looked it up, and you are right, he wasn't He was out of both.

That 10/13 you said was cut, that may be a source issue... I have an import CD of it, and I don't recall any cut at the beginning, but it has been some time since I listened to it.
I could hook you up with it...

Honestly it doesnt sound cut too bad. I think it was missing some stage banter and maybe the first couple notes.

At the intro seems rushed to me. I guess most 80's Dark Stars have that in common. The playing is still good though. After the first verse was sang (average 89 vocals from Jerry) the jam begins. Once again this seems to be more driven by Phil and Brent. Jerry does a good job with his part. It get kinda Lo Mein from him and Bobby both. At the 6 minute mark is that weird bell effect. I am pretty sure that is Brent. I want to note that after the bell effect Garcia picks up speed only to slow down again and go into MIDI world. I myself enjoy the MIDI. I am pretty sure I have said this everytime I hear it in a Dark Star. The hero of this song is most definately Phil though. He keeps the groove going the whole time. Not really letting up, which is a great thing. Whenever Phil is on top of his game the rest of the band pretty much has to keep up with him. This normally only applies to Dark Stars though. Not full shows. Bob is also on top of his game being a great accomplice to Garcia as the song sounds like it breaking apart and going into those weird spaces that I dig so much. That is really the reason I love this song. You can never tell where it is going. Around the 11:53 mark the drummers give a little energy. This is sort of brought down by Garcia but kept up with Phil. Around the 12:39 mark you can hear the main theme brought back. When it is fully recognized by the full band it gets slowed down to a magical home before the second verse was sang. Garcia's vocals on the second verse are a little below the 89 average. Brent plays beautifully behind the verse. Honestly, Jerry's vocals sounds like they are sung by an old man. Not his normal voice at all!!! After the second verse is over there is still give or take 10-11 minutes of Dark Star hi-jinks left. The band takes this time to cover more space. Space is definately where they take us. More midi and the weird droning Brent sounds. This song has gained more energy after the second verse slot. It is not the normal energy though. Perhaps something for the hallucinations. After the short burst of energy it goes into weirdness. Complete oddness from every member of this band. Listen to Brent's amazing key work around 19 minutes. Very odd, yet still interesting. Around 20:34 is an amazing jam that seems almost rehearsed. Once again as every theme this song has taken it is short lived. You are also able to hear the drummers get a little antsy for their time in the spotlight. I would say Brent is the only one really carrying the song by the end of it. Garcia seems to still be on stage as major weird feedback and distortion in almost a techno like fashion is played. Bob I think is responsible for most of the oddness on stage. I really have no idea who makes the weird wind sounds that fade in and out. Either way this was an enjoyable journey. It is worth the listen if you have a half hour to kill.

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For this Dark Star I had the option of listening to the Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack or watching it on the Grateful Dead Movie Bonus Disc. I chose the Bonus Disc. This is what was supposed to be the last time this song would ever be played. Thank god that changed and the band was in full force again in 76. However, this is the last time the song was played until 12-31-78 Winterland. The band seems extremely focused. The intro jam didn't last long at all. Jerry seemed to sing the first verse rather prematurely. This is totally ok with me. Now we can get into the serious jamming that I remember this version having. The main riff is revisited a lot during the jam. This is all for the better as Jerry takes advantage of the familiar soundscape in a big way. Almost reaching a Tiger like jam early in the jam. Billy K does a great job forcing the song to go a little faster. I have noticed the drummer(s) seem to do this a lot. Just totally taking control of the open jams while the band plays. Garcia's note selection enters the dreamy realm and Bob's riffs are balanced to great effect. As the band jams a little more Phil takes his time to shine in the "last" Dark Star. Garcia takes this time to step back only to come back with a beautiful almost focused theme. Basically this DS becomes drums for a second while the band fills in where needed. I want to note on Bob's amazing picking pattern coming out of the drum segment as the song then meanders to the Dew. Overall for the last time the band expected to play this song it seems almost rushed at times. I find it sort of lacking in some areas. It is still a good performance. Just not the best out there.

(No Links this is an official release)
Wait I think this might work. It is in SHN.

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This is from an earlier post when I reviewd DP2.
Dark Star>Jam
From the beginning of this well played version you realize the band isn't playin' around. At about the 2 minute mark the both Jerry and Bobby start playing a dreamy melody. This mix is excellent as you can hear Bobby hit those off balance but perfect notes at about 3:29. Phil drops the bombs as Jerry follows suit. This is only 4 minutes into an epic 23:14 track. The boys pull it together rather well starting to introduce the basic notes of Dark Star, yet still have the ability to lose the theme inside of the theme.(If that makes sense.) 6:45 peaks the improvisation as the song shows itself just in time for a perfectly sang 1st verse. Phil's bass follows Jerry's lead perfect behind his vocals. Right after the "transitive nightfall of diamonds" lyrics Bob starts to introduce Sugar Magnolia at about 8:50. The band responds to this in a total chaotic jam. Phil starts to play somewhat of a solo. Bob's distortion is almost perfect in this show. 11:06 starts to show another side of the jam. Phil takes back his place as rhythm letting Bobby and Jerry take back an almost duel lead. The jam that happens is a very happy, up beat medley at 14:00. The band finds themselves in a "Tighten Up" jam for the ages. Have my ears just decieved me? I think I just heard one of the earliest traces of Fire On The Mountain around 18:08. If this were later in the decade I am sure that could have been a possibility. Instead we are treated by a spacey endeavor, that at the very least can raise the question of what just happened.Before you could even find an answer Dark Star gives birth to Sugar Magnolia.

This is a first for me in the DS Project. A Dark Star Jam. I didn't listen to WRS>LIG or Eyes. I have heard all of these before and from what I can remember I enjoyed them. This concert was released in the Dicks Picks series. I can't remember which one it was. Alright now on with the DSJ. This is a fun little escapade on initial listening. Not exaclty adventourous like I prefer Dark Star Jams. Still this is a good little piece of music played. Perhaps they play the main theme more than normal as a tease or maybe so people understood they were listening to a Dark Star but not. Around the 5 minute mark the band finally gets away from the main theme and has some nice interplay. The music takes over into another realm that leads them to more familiar territory. Garcia has great guitar work throughout this though, but like i said not very adventourous. This is more of a run through of the song instrumentally. I know a lot of the DS jams are like this. It just leaves me wanting more. It finally gets a little weirder for my liking around the 8:30 mark. Too bad it doesn't last for long as the band moves onto an amazing Eyes of the World.

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Alright this is the reason I have fallen in love with Dark Star. This is the show used for Live/Dead. Dark Star>St Stephen come from this concert. I could pretty much leave it at that. Why would I though? After listening to a less than stellar Dark Star Jam I deserve this one right? So lets get into the Dark Star that helped change concert rock albums. I actually started this time on Mountains of the Moon. The Dark Star actually starts in this track. Ahh i love this recording and concert all too much. While I am listening to MOTM I am wondering why this version was excluded from Live/Dead. It is very good and rather focused. Although I always liked this song. Finally the moment I have been waiting for. Dark Star has started. This version I believe is the most familiar to myself. Garcia's riffs are near perfect with slight distortion. TC has brilliant keyboard work on this as well. I always liked him on this song. Around the 3 minute mark the song goes into the an amazing world on its own, only to be brought back to the main riff. Garcia slides the notes blurring realtiy for a split second before the verse is sung. I base all other Dark Star verses from this version. Perfectly sung. The 6 minute mark is a highlight as the band goes into full throttle once again. The guitar interplay from Weir and Garcia is remarkable. The 9:48 mark has an amazing riff from Garcia as Weir and Lesh drive the song into other realms. 10:32 has what I think perhaps the most memoral weird riff. With headphones on this song will drill into your brain and its all for the better. The keys finally make another loud entrance right before more guitar riffs are explored. I love the distortion used on the high notes around 12:48. There is also some weird guitar scratching in the background that I believe to be Weir. Let me take a moment to figure out this one sound. It has plagued me for years. At the 13:13 mark there is this sound that I have been wondering what it is and how it was done for years. If anyone has any answers please let me know. Right after that sound the band goes back into full throttle. The energy in the between verse jam I am convinced was aligned with the planets or something of the likes. At the 16:00 minute amrk a new theme is introduced. To glorious fashion Lesh comes through sounding excellent. The main riff is brought back around 17:43 as Garcia once again refuses the second verse to happen. He gets in some awesome guitar licks as Bobby plays some nice riffs behind the stellar lead in progress. Finally around 18:48 the main riff comes back into play again, this time lead by Garcia for one more outburst of energy. At 20:04 the second verse is sung to near perfection. The drummers come through at perfect balance to his vocals. After the second verse is sang the band takes no time to return for a spacey musical sidebar for a second or two before entering St. Stephen.
(Listen to Live/Dead...You all should own this album anyway)
<img src="http://www.loathemegacorp.com/deadpieshop/covers/gd690227-0302_front.jpg">
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2f/Live_Dead.jpg">
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3308/3310081913_a092e9641b.jpg?v=1235621537">

Last edited by dogstarz on Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:57 pm; edited 1 time in total

This starts out to be an upbeat DS. This is Keith's last Dark Star. Bob adds some new color I haven't heard before. In all honesty Keith is present but not at the same time. Garcia expands the intro jam with ease. This was a tight band minus the keys. Even those do shine in a little every now and then. Garcia sings the first verse at 5 minutes. The drummers add a lot of dramatic effect to the final part of the first verse before the main riff jam happens. Garcia is very noodle friendly on this one. The post verse jam is very pretty. I would hardly call this one energetic at all. Although, the Jerry riff is energetic. The band meanders for a bit into an odd little place. They get into the zone but it is too late. Right when the song begins to finally take flight it is around 10:00 leaving 22 seconds for anything to happen. It does but too short. Then the band launches into NFA.

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This starts off to be a strong DS. Bruce's playing is excellent. The vocals come in under 2 minutes. Still this is a very nice one. Weirdness is at every corner, this is while the verse is still being sung!!! Thank you Vinny for that. This is more of a keyboard lead Dark Star. Having 2 key players adds more to the structure of the song. The Garcia jams aren't bad but Bruce is the person to listen to. Bob also adds some nice fills when you can hear him. Phil is sounding good in this mix as well. Bringing in a flavor of his own to the mix. I really love the beautiful Garcia riff being played in the 6 minute range. This has a weird jazzy feel to it. I would hardly call it spacey though. This is more of a beauty Dark Star. It touches on dreamy every now and then but more beauty.At 8:52ish the main riff is brought back to the front. Vince is playing some weird effects as it builds into more common ground. The second verse is never really sang. It is played instrumentally to a great sound. This is done around 9:45 in the song. Bruce really adds a lot to this band and furthermore to this song. His key work is impressive. At times I wish he would let Vinny get more action in. The post "second verse" gains the energy it need to go in to drums. Weir is playing some nice distortion throughout this part before drums. Overall this isnt a bad one.

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Ha Ha Ok this Dark Star is more or less of a joke if anything else. This was only played for 2:54. It was a Dark Star jam. The playing was good but not really much to say about this performance. Also I had to add it to the list of Dark Stars at the top of the thread. I think that says its all. In the middle of the song they do tease Althea. Which makes me happy. Both songs have the same chords at some point. It also sounds like it could go into a Fire On The Mountain for a second. I am not really sure how that works. They finally decide on goin into Watchtower. I am listening to an AUD and there was one guy who yelled "No!". That was pretty funny.

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Heh, yeah that 9/6/91 Dark Star jam barely qualifies, eh? This show was a bit of a snooze after the previous two -- the 9/4 show particularly. Very nice Bird Song and good Terrapin, but not much else. For me it wasn't so much that it was such a tease, but that it ended in Watchtower.

Nope, I got home from work today and had nothing to do. So I decided to get into some Dark Star today. I am off for the next 2 days. I have insomnia so expect for more tonight if I can't sleep. If not tonight check back tomorrow. I promise at least one or more will be finished throughout the day.

Phil starts this DS off. It has a very smooth feel to it. Phil has an amazing slide near the beginning jam. I really dig what Phil is doing in this mix. Garcia noodles around the amazing work that Phil does. Bobby and Keith are in sync with each other as Garcia and Phil lead this jam. Jerry plays a guitar riff around 4:28 that could have come right out of Morning Dew. Bob keeps the rhythm going while he plays open riffs to counter balance Phil and Garcia. Keith is doing an excellent job on this as well. Billy slows down the tempo for a second letting Garcia and Lesh breathe. Keith plays some nice jazz like fills under the driving Garcia, Weir, Lesh movement. This jam starts to form very nicely into a driven and focused piece of music. Lesh keeps the grove flowing while Garcia takes the lead. At 10:17 there is some amazing work that needs to be mentioned. The whole band is working under one mind. Simply beautiful. The jam peaks at 11:57. For a second around 12:42 the song almost falls apart but Keith and Phil bring it back together. This leads into an excellent Mud Love Buddy Jam. I am a fan of these during Dark Stars. This is a very peaceful and kind of trippy thanks to Bobby effects.I love Garcia's solo at the 1:55 mark on MLB. This solo carrys throughout the MLB. Then it quickly turns back into Dark Star. Hell yeah!!! Perfection. When they come back to DS Garcia takes no time to get to the first verse. Phil takes over the jam once again after the "diamonds" part is sung. He drops his bass bombs all over this. It is sort of a bass solo except the other members are still playing throughout. Now the song has went down that road of no return. The feedback has peaked its head out for a second. As Garcia picks the high notes and Weir follows by hitting a some weird notes soon after. Around 6 minutes into the post MLB jam Garcia tries to go into Stella Blue. I don't really know why he would do that in the middle of such weirdness. It still works for this mood that the band has built. Lesh got his way and they continue in the realms of Dark Star much to my admiration. This is really a beautiful Dark Star that can stretch into awkwardness at times. Yet remains more on the beauty side of things. That has a lot to do with the MLB and Keith's playing during this end jam. Finally, Garcia gets his way and they go into Stella Blue.

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An energetic start. I haven't really listened to too many 71 Dark Stars. When Garcia sings the first verse I am pretty sure that he has a lyrical flub. "Dark Star flashes" is what I hear through my headphones. This jam seems sort of rushed for a second than almost comes to a halt as the song gets a little spacier. The spacier it gets the more focused it seems. At 6:20 Garcia hammers on notes pretty fast which leads to a feedback for a second. Then you are able to hear the first notes of the FIRST EVER Wharf Rat. The keys are sounding good on this. This is a very strong first outing of Wharf Rat. Jerry's voice is beautiful while he sings these fresh lyrics. The band seems to have rehearsed Wharf Rat a good bit before they debuted it. After the last word is sang in Wharf Rat the band is focused again the previous Dark Star. The wonderfulness that happens coming out of WR is splendid. The keyboard work throughout this sequence is stellar. The drums pick up the tempo and Lesh and Garcia follow suit. Check out the 1:35 minute mark on DS2. A really good little jam. This is what keeps me coming back to the Dead in general. When they can surprise you out of nowhere, yet even if you have heard it before. This is some of the best I have heard from this band. This surprises me cause it is in 71. I have had reservations of this year. If the band played like this during the whole year than my reservations were not well warranted.

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Note this was released on Dicks Picks 1. It is still on the archive though.
This is the Dark Star performed after the infamous 12/6/73 Dark Star. I am happy to report that this Dark Star is half the time of 12/6. The intro jam is rather interesting. Bob has many nice riffs during the intro jam. Also Phil chimes in around 2:48 and keeps it going. There must have been something in the water in December of 1973. This is a very spaced out version as well. Still not anywhere near as dreamy as 12/6. There seems to be a little bit of energy emerging through in the 4th minute of the song. Phil has a nice bass line starting at 5 minutes. It almost seems like a TOO jam can begin at any moment. Finally around 6 minutes of the song the enrgy peaks and goes back down to a spacey vehicle that I am sure they will jam out. You are able to hear the beginning of a MLB around the 8 minute mark. Bobby brings in the chords and the rest of the band follows. Great Keith during this MLB. He is very prominent. Garcia's lead part is utterly beautiful. The song picks up speed and finally realizes itself as a Dark Star. The whole time Phil is playing a TOO bass line trying to force something that won't happen. I am digging that though. It keeps the band from getting to weird. Which is weird that Phil is the one keeping them from getting weird. At 10:49 the main riff is brought back to the spotlight. This slows down the energy only to lead to the first verse. Garcia's vocals are good on this. Great work from Billy during the first verse. During the ending of the first verse Phil takes over once again, leading into a fun little bass jam. Bob sets the chordal mood as feedback appears from Garcia's amp. Then a gust of feedback covers everything. There are nice Garcia notes being played for what it is worth. Those turn into a feedback frenzy as well. For a while the feedback becomes the center piece. Making this more of a dreamy piece after all. I really dig the bass feedback as Garcia plays an open riff behind it. The spacieness doesn't seem to let up. It just keeps going and going with more weird feedback sounds that sound like a radio station that isn't coming in. Finally at 18:00 Bob chimes in with fast playing while Garcia is making almost an airplane crashing sound. Please be careful listening to this with headphones. The feedback causes loud piercing sounds that last for about a 3 seconds at a time.Around the 20 minute mark both guitarists are tired of feedback and start to play a rather beautiful dreamy riff progression. At 21:00 you are able to hear the drummer come back for a second and finally add some much needed energy. Which only leads to Drums. This wasn't a bad Dark Star not sure if its my cup of tea though. The MLB jam was worth listening to.

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This being the last DS of the 80's I had to check it out. The main riff jam at the beginning is very exciting. There is some MIDI Jerry in it that sounds great. A lively Brent keeps the ball goin inbetween Garcia riffs. Bob isn't extremely well heard on this mix though. Really Brent is all over. Finally hearing a little bit of Bob shine through the MIDI Garcia and well played Brent is a treat. He riffs under Garcia's already amazing soundscape. At 5:48 the jam peaks at with energy as the band begins to realize where they were. This leads to the main riff being played and the first verse being sang. The vocals aren't the best. About average for 89 to be honest. After the "transitive nightfall of diamonds" line the band opens itself up again for a little more jamming. This leads to a mini space section played by the guitarists over Brent's main riff theme. The jam grows into a faster played version of space. Both drummers are diving this while the weirdness ensues. The music seems to fall apart creating a weird and concscience sound throughout the 10 minute mark. In the last few minutes of the song takes a different shape full of weird energy. It is a fantastic force but almost seems forced after the weird soundscapes already played. Maybe forced wasn't the word but rushed was. This leads into drums which slowly dwindles out the musicians to only the drummers. It was a good half of a Dark Star though.

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Both lucasmcain and swami have suggest to me that the Victim it comes out of is crucial to getting the entire DS effect on this one... the 12/31/89 I mean.

Wow Koch way to give props man!! Someone does read my drivel!!

Yes, the Victim lauches this Dark Star. The themes start in the post- Victim and continue thru Drums/Space. Now the timing " proper" only gives the Dark Star about 12 minutes, If you take the outro Victim and D/S you get a good 30 mins of interplanetary goodness anchored by Dark Star.

Interesting the Dead played in Worchester the 18 and 19th of 09. Almost the 40th anniversary of this Dark Star. This is a very clean sounding '69 board also. Alright now onto the Dark Star. The 1:44 mark starts a low riff from Garcia that is extremely interesting. I like it when he can go low then right back to the high notes. Overall this has a nice pre-verse jam. Some of it reflects the Live/Dead performance yet not at the same time. It just has that ever so sweet 69 Dead sound. Garcia's guitar is in perfect tone. The 4:50 minute mark has some amazing Garcia jams. Just beautiful. There is no other way to describe this pre-verse section. At 5:39 Garcia welcomes the main riff once again as he slowly gets away from it for a note or two. Phil sounds amazing in this mix as well. A minute after Garcia brings in the main riff the first verse is sang in perfect 69 style. I enjoy the feed back while he sings "while we can". After the "nightfall of diamonds" the band starts to open themselves up more. The loosening of sounds and maybe even strings with a whammy bar. The crash cymbal is put to perfect use as the band finds the next corner to glide to. More Garcia low notes, not for long as he instantly recognized his home with the high notes. The band builds upon this as Phil starts to show a new voice in the song. Weir is able to be heard but not too much. The MVP of this Dark Star is Garcia. Check out the 10:22 mark. An interesting idea that grabs the attention of the muse as another idea was given birth. Finally, you can hear Bob around 10:59. Ladies and gentlemen this is the Grateful Dead the way they were intended to be listened to. Around 12 miunutes into the song the band explores space as only they could. Filling in each others silent notes with perfection. When you can hear Bob he is doing some amazing things. The peak comes down around 14:20 only to find a new home of space to be explored. This time not as chaotic. Not even a minute later the band explodes in a pre-second verse jam. This is a highlight for me so far. 17 minute mark has some amazing Garcia exploding lead. This leads to a slow down almost crawl in music for a second. Almost as if to say he is done with the song and has no where else to go. Instead of finishing with that explosion of lead guitar he mellows down into a beautiful riff. When the second verse does come in it is a remarkable place. The vocals are perfect on this one. Right after the second verse is done they play St. Stephen. If you want a beautiful 69 Dark Star this is it. Well so far in my exploration of Dark Star.

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Both lucasmcain and swami have suggest to me that the Victim it comes out of is crucial to getting the entire DS effect on this one... the 12/31/89 I mean.

Wow Koch way to give props man!! Someone does read my drivel!!

Yes, the Victim lauches this Dark Star. The themes start in the post- Victim and continue thru Drums/Space. Now the timing " proper" only gives the Dark Star about 12 minutes, If you take the outro Victim and D/S you get a good 30 mins of interplanetary goodness anchored by Dark Star.

I actually listened to this last night for the first time. Pretty cool, together. I enjoyed it. I listened to some other parts of the show, and it was less exciting.

They start with a countdown and movie into an amazing main theme jam. This very soon becomes a mellow exercise of psychedia. Garcia finds a relaxing groove to play as Keith shines in the first couple minutes of the song. This mix has Bobby sounding good as well. Phil on the other hand can be weak at moments but does come through for a moment or two. The song totally loses any significant Dark Star structures in the 4th minute of this song. This is now an open and free form jam. Keith adds some jazz flavor as the band moves in a more intense direction. Listenin to this song at 7:32 it gives me hope of a tiger jam. Billy speeds up the tempo makin way for it. Alas, it doesn't happen. Although the band is on fire losing itself in the wake of the previous jam. Garcia brings in the main riff again, this time with a great sounding light distortion. As soon as this is brought back the song falls into open space again for a moment. Garcia is tryin hard to bring back the theme. The 3rd time he plays it the band catches on and follows him. The first verse is sang with an excellent execution. The word "Dark" seemed to last atleast 10-20 seconds. Phil picks up in sound after the first verse is sang. As the guitars are making a weird feedback sound letting Billy K and Phil explore together. Around the later part of the 16th minute of this beast of a Dark Star is a Phil jam. It is amazing. Not really a solo just a launching pad with him sounding great. Would this be considered a Philo Stomp? I think it does!!! Garcia comes back in with a revived energy as does Keith. I thought this was about to come to a close until I looked at the time of the song and heard Phil revive it. YES!!!!!!!! TIGER!!!!!!!!!! in the 19 minute realm of time. It was a short little Tiger jam but not a cub my any means. Every time I wonder to myself why I listen to so much Grateful Dead in the first place something like this comes up. This answers my question. This is then goes into a weird realm of space. Still high energy though. Extremely weird though. I will change that last Tiger jam into a cub. The real tiger is during the 24th and 25th minute. Cleveland must have something in the water. Considering the longest played Dark Star was performed in the same building just a little over a year later. This is the better of the 2 performances that I have listened to from Cleveland Public Hall. They finish the Dark Star with feedback as they move into Sugar Magnolia.

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We seem to share a muse. I got pointed your way from the archive.org forum. I just got under way on a similar little project. If I get as far as you have gotten, I will be pleased...If you are interested, you (or anyone else) you can find my takes here:

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[/code]

_________________1fw

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We seem to share a muse. I got pointed your way from the archive.org forum. I just got under way on a similar little project. If I get as far as you have gotten, I will be pleased...If you are interested, you (or anyone else) you can find my takes here:

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[/code]

Welcome aboard 1fingerwillie!
I will be checking out your work too... you guys should join forces, post both your "results" at both places... now, I think it will also be cool to see both your takes on the same Dark Stars.

We seem to share a muse. I got pointed your way from the archive.org forum. I just got under way on a similar little project. If I get as far as you have gotten, I will be pleased...If you are interested, you (or anyone else) you can find my takes here:

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[/code]

Welcome aboard 1fingerwillie!
I will be checking out your work too... you guys should join forces, post both your "results" at both places... now, I think it will also be cool to see both your takes on the same Dark Stars.

First off welcome aboard this ship of fools. Second, I agree with Koch, I am interested in some of your takes on Dark Stars as well. I myself am a huge fan of the songs exploratory nature as I am sure you are as well. Please post some here Dark Star reviews here. I will still listen to all of them so don't be worried of steppin on toes. It should be interesting for more than one point of view.

I am sorry to anyone that was keeping up with this. I have slacked off. I needed a break from the boys for a little. As Koch has mentioned many times to me to still post so I have in other areas. I promise there will be some comin up within the next 2 weeks. I gotta find my groove once again. While I am doing so I am taking baby steps and sometimes Dark Star is not the way to do that.

thanks fellas. i have been out of the online dead loop for a couple of years (i got steamrolled by children and career there for a bit). I have been looking for a good place to talk about the dead....this place looks like it might do the trick.

_________________1fw

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This is the first time the Dead have traveled across that pond known as the Atlantic. You can tell instantly that they have something to prove. The intro is fierce and fast. No slow noodling to start things off. Jerry pulls off the lead work extremely well. Actually, the whole band is on fire. Around 5 minutes into the song the band calms to a near halt. This sometimes can lead to a slow and spacey jam (12/6/73). This one just leads to the first verse. It is a good singing, pretty average. The drummers had fun as the song once again goes into a slower speed. This time it only leads to a weird spacey section introduced by the crazy cymbal play. Guitar work soon follows but more in the realms of feedback or modern day space. As the band comes into its own, it just gets weirder. Perhaps this is what it sounds like when a Dark Star crashes. Jerry plays something that could be on a horror film soundtrack as the band builds itself once again after that weird meltdown. Finally the band is back on track with an interesting, yet pretty common Dark Star jam. The theme that is built around 14:30 is very familiar. I can't think of what it is called though. Whatever it is called I can tell you it is very good. This is one of the more up beat DS's I have heard in a while. This jam is just excellent. Weir plays these really happy chords which can make Jerry do nothing but play a happy lead riff. Very excellent. Around the 18 minute mark is a Dancin In The Street tease. Apparently it was not to be as the main DS riff makes a comeback. Which than leads to a more energetic singing of the second verse. Shortly after the second verse is over the song moves right into St. Stephen. Frakking excellent Dark Star!!!!

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Listening to this young Dark Star, Jerry's voice sounds a little weird to me. There is a cut in the beginning like so many from this era. Garcia moves freely up and down the fretboard. Compared to years to come this Dark Star sort of shows off what can happen. Yet the extended jam in the middle is cut rather short by the second verse. This is a perfect example of how Dark Star could have worked itself into a first set. Not very trippy or experimental. So I am going out on a limb here that many people will like this version. Also the segue in China>The 11 is excellent. So this is worth the listen.

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I am pretty sure if you were talking to another deadhead and you heard 9/19/70 mentioned the first thing that comes to your head is "Hey baby you want to FUCK!!!" "Pigpen did you just say fuck?" For Lovelight it was a good one that night. Very energetic to say the least. But its the Dark Star that I want to bring into focus here at the moment.

The band is really on this whole night. This Dark Star shows that they weren't scared of going off into weird territory at all. The weirder things got back then it seemed the more sane things got as well. Like the jams out of the oddness would be well thought out. If not well thought out at least they were played and usually energetic. This is a good example of that.

After the really spacey part of the song, around the 14:30 time mark, I believe Garcia starts to tease Let's Spend The Night Together. This happens around the 15 minute mark for a second. Then it fades away from some nice jamming but it comes back strong at 20:30 time mark. Either way I was wondering if this just me or if that really is there?

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so are you going to do the legendary DS's like 8/27/72 and 2/13/70 or are you just going in random order id sure like to help you i love listening to dark star i just think the exploratory nature of it reminds me so much of jazz fusion miles.

I started listening to Foolish Heart>Dark Star>Drums>Space from this concert for the full experience of Dark Star. This was also Brent's last Dark Star. He had died 14 days later.

The Foolish Heart has some amazing guitar work from Garcia and Phil is key to the majority of the drive in the jam. During the Foolish Heart jam finale you can hear Phil pondering a few options but never leaning towards any one song. The band just somehow moves into Dark Star without ever questioning it. Once they get their it is very Brent heavy. Not that it is a bad thing. Jerry plays with his midi effects, which gave more room for Brent to explore. Phil keeps a relaxed bass line in the background. Once Jerry gets away from the midi for a second he has a nice clean tone with a slight distortion that only goes back into more midi. Bob lays a nice soundscape in the background. This seems to be more led by Lesh and Mydland than anyone else in the band. Granted Jerry keeps the riffs interesting, yet he also lays back for a bit as well. The intro jam is rather weird in general. Garcia plays the main riff a couple times before exploring other territory as he has done many times before. Bob is sort of hard to hear in this mix. Or maybe I am hearing him and not giving him credit for some of the soundscape. Jerry's vocals in the first verse are rough. Sounds like he smoked about 4 packs of cigs and decided to try to sing. I noticed this in Foolish Heart as well. But it also sounds like a mature, older version of the 70's Garcia vocals. Once again Brent and Phil lead the band into a fun experimentation of sound. Bob is playing a weird riff behind Jerry's midi heavy guitar. I really dig the effect Garcia has chosen for this. It sounds like a horn until he hits the high notes, when it sounds like a guitar again. The jam is one of the weirdest things I have heard from the 89 Dark Star revival. They went all in on this one. It literally sounds like the music fell apart but the theme is still there somehoe, if that makes any sense. Sort of like a 70's Dark Star but higher energy. Brent goes nuts on the keys over powering everyone else on the stage. This starts at 13:18 but is in full force around 14:04 and peaks at 14:20. The weirdness keeps on giving in this Dark Star until 17:08 when Jerry brings back the main theme once again. The band finds focus and the audience cheers at the arrival of those notes. Garcia begins the second verse. Once again his rough vocals are very noticeable. After the second verse is sang they go for another round of the main riff. They don't seem to get too far off course here. The drummers begin to get a little antsy right before Drums begins again. Yet Phil is having too much with this Dark Star as he keeps playing the main riff. Which keeps Jerry and Brent entertained for a while longer. Garcia plays some really pretty closing riffs as does Brent to end the Dark Star before Drums officially begins. You can also hear Brent sort of teast The Other One as the drummers pick up the pace. For a second while listening to this, I think that The Other One is totally possible. Alas, Drums and Space begin. Drums is instantly high energy.

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i just think the exploratory nature of it reminds me so much of jazz fusion miles.

I couldn't agree more.

...This is a great piece of work thus far, Dogstarz. Kudos. I'm curious to get your take on the Sunshine Daydream Dark Star (1972-08-27, Veneta, OR).

It is funny you say ask for the 8-27-72 Field Trip Dark Star. I posted video of it on my blog today. So when I review it will be from youtube. I will also post those videos here as well as the link for the show and album cover. From what I remember when I first started to get and trade cd's back in the 90s this was one of the first Dark Stars I got via trading. So it should bring back memories.

That it is. It took some time for me to actually get back into listening to just Dark Star. It is way to easy to get distracted with the other 1,000 plus songs they have played. Coming up next will be 8-27-72!!!

Nice job, DS....Been meaning to tell you this is some great work, and I appreciate it. Ive been checkin in on this thread regularly, and enjoy your take on one of the greatest songs of all time, Dark Star......PEace

The intro begins with a ferocity that is rather common for '68 Dark Stars. The intro jam is short and right to the point, yet I still really liked it. Jerry's voice is excellent as well. After the first verse the band begins to explore a little. However, the exploration is nothing like it will become. This is more like tweeking the main theme. I have no problem with this since the band is in "one mind" mode already. Garcia seems ready to take the song into uncharted territory, yet seems to hold back a bit. From what I can hear the Bob is playing some interesting riffs in behind Garcia. It is really hard to tell exactly on this recording. Phil does play some interesting stuff as well. Once again the recording is a little muffled. DO NOT LET THE RECORDING SCARE YOU AWAY THOUGH!! As Snowandrain has mentioned in his Ohio project, this is an excellent show. In the 9 minute mark is some excellent Jerry. Then at the 10 minute mark it is back to full on main theme. Once Jerry begins to sing the second verse, the band seems to take a step back. They give room for his amazing vocals as the song closes and goes right into St. Stephen.

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As I have promised here is the Field Trip Dark Star. I am reviewing this as a video. Which is above where I am writing and you are reading. Also I am drinking some Dark Starr Stout made by Starr Hill. Alright now on to the show!!

(Video 1)The song begins rather mellow. The video takes you backstage as the band move through the intro. Jerry, Phil and Bob are all in together as the song evolves. Bob and Jerry play some really pretty riffs which when combined is pure beauty. Garcia's note selection is perfection in the 5 minute mark of video one. The band moves into an almost more agressive playing style than what was previously heard in this version so far. The energy begin to over take the band as Billy picked up his tempo. Bobby plays a lot of interesting stuff that for some reason I alway credited to Jerry. Thank you YouTube for showing me the light. As Jerry picks up where he left off before, except this time with a little more speed. As soon as Garcia speeds up, they all go back into a dream like state. (Video 2)This does not last for long as once again Billy picks up the tempo at what seemed to be Phil's cue. Soon after (1:22) the band finds the main theme. Soon after Jerry sings the first verse. His vocals are perfect. Right after Jerry finishes the first verse, some odd images appear on the screen. Which in an odd way flow with the song...well at least they try to flow with the song. Phil sounds excellent as well.Keith begins to get into the action giving the band a new theme to play with. The new theme is excellent. Still mellow, yet energetic. This is where I think the band excells. The jazz like meltdowns which I haven't heard many other bands reach...ever. Still weird animations are on the screen. Phil hits a wonderful note as the rest of the band take his lead. Bob plays some amazing rhythm under Garcia's unresting lead. Once again, I have to admit I really am enjoying watching a video of the band play this historic Dark Star. The animation leaves me wanting certain psychedlics. I am sure you guys can figure out what I am talking about.

(Video 3)The band begins to groove into darker corners of the Dark Star attic right before its time for the Phil and Bill show. Phil plays some amazing bass during this part. Billy keeps a steady rhythm which is status quo for him anyway. The real part of this is Phil though. Then Keith gets in on the action. Which is a nice addition making this sound really jazzy. Then Garcia joins in. When he does, it is nothing but spectacular. Soon after Bob joins the fun which leads to a total meltdown. Jerry is mainly responsible for this with his guitar aerobics. His fingers move as if every fret is on fire. Which only helps the band find the perfect groove to lay it down. When this happens some amazing rhythm work from Bob is underlying everything on the stage. Then the song becomes a little dreamy again. It could go into a total dreamlike state if it weren't for Billy's drums. My eyes are glued to Garcia's fingers during the 7 minute mark. His choice of notes with the wah is outstanding. Then Keith starts to play something to compliment the guitars. TIGER!!!! I think that explains what Garica is doing. This then leads into (video 4) Phil BOMBS. The song gets creepy again. Not for long though as the band plots its next move in the cosmos. That next move is El paso.

I haven't listened to this is in a long time. So thank everyone for requesting I review it.

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Right on the money, imo, Dogstarz. "Energetic, yet mellow" is a good way to put it. It was so hot that day, it could have been just lazy and mellow; but the boys came to play. I also like the idea of Garcia's frets being too hot to handle, so those fingers have to dance.

I've often imagined being able to travel back in time and sit in the audience for some of the key shows, or for that matter EVERY show. I would be thrilled to be plopped into the middle of this one.

Reich: Well then if we wanted to talk about "Dark Star", could you say anything about where it comes from?
Garcia: You gotta remember that you and I are talking about two different "Dark Stars." You're talking about the "Dark Star" which you have heard formalized on a record, and I'm talking about the "Dark Star" which I have heard in each performance as a completely improvised piece over a long period of time. So I have a long continuum of "Dark Stars" which range in character from each other to real different extremes. "Dark Star" has meant, while I'm playing it, almost as many things as I can sit here and imagine, so all I can do is talk about "Dark Star" as a playing experience.
Reich: Well, yeah, talk about it a little.
Garcia: I can't. It talks about itself.

Reich: Well then if we wanted to talk about "Dark Star", could you say anything about where it comes from?
Garcia: You gotta remember that you and I are talking about two different "Dark Stars." You're talking about the "Dark Star" which you have heard formalized on a record, and I'm talking about the "Dark Star" which I have heard in each performance as a completely improvised piece over a long period of time. So I have a long continuum of "Dark Stars" which range in character from each other to real different extremes. "Dark Star" has meant, while I'm playing it, almost as many things as I can sit here and imagine, so all I can do is talk about "Dark Star" as a playing experience.
Reich: Well, yeah, talk about it a little.
Garcia: I can't. It talks about itself.

- A Signpost to New Space, 1972

I knew exactly what book this was from halfway through the passage. That is an excellent read.

Also thank you for reminding me of this crazy project of mine hahaha. In theory you guys should be seeing another Dark Star posted soon!!!!

I actually gave this a listen again off Ladies and Gentlemen not knowing it was 4/28/71...I got the idea from an ad in Golden Road talkin about music that said something to the effect "thats no 4/28/71 Dark Star"...I think this version of DS is just freaky enough to be really great(plus TC is playin), but not nearly the marathon meandering of something like 12/6/73.....TC adds quite a bit to this one and I also think Jerry's Gibson is so bright and shiny it really gives it a unique sound...Creepy and dark definately at times but Jerry pulls right out of it with that super delicate touch on that SG...Noodles on nodles to return it to a really fat uptempo Jam which gives way to a dreamy last verse which Jerry and Phil share...The perfectly timed transition to St. Stepen just slays the crowd. you can hear the audible roar over the PA's, very cool indeed.....This Dark Star clocks in at just under 14:00 and i think it is the perfect length.....St .Stephen has never been my fav but this one is done with charisma to boot. Strong vacals and great chang of tempo from DS....The energy is carried right into NFA>GDTRFB>NFA and Jerry's solos really stand out...This show is overshadowed by 4/29 but the second set especially stands up easily to anything else from '71...Im very impressed, and glad I saw that ad from Golden Road magazine.....

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"We've got a former member of The Grateful Dead hanging out here in New York. Tom Constantan is going to join us on the next one."

This a great Dark Star from memory. As I listen to it again the energy is in high dosages during the intro jam. It might be TC's presence helping that. It is only fitting to have TC join the band for this song, since he did have a lot of input during the formative years of Dark Star. The band lowers the energy for the first verse. Garcia's vocals are stellar. As with most of these early (68-71) Dark Stars his voice sounds like Live/Dead Garcia. The band however has changed. They have become a little more tight and trusting with each other which will eventually lead to the really experimental 73 Dark Stars.

TC adds a lot on the keys filling in the empty notes of the guitars. Phil and TC seem to be falling back into their groove right before feedback starts to pour out of the amplifiers. After the brief feedback Garcia and Weir both start to noodle. Phil and the drummers take a jazz turn as Garcia gets on fire.

This goes into a weird direction but nothing like 12-6-73 at all. This weirdness has a different vibe to it. There is energy oozing out of the weirdness as Garcia begins a new theme that is very close to the main theme of Dark Star. I just think he was having fun with TC. The main theme appears again rather quickly. Followed by the second verse. Once again his vocals are perfect on this version. Phil's backing vocals during the "nightfall of diamond" is excellent. Then the band is greeted to a loud applause as the band works its way into St. Stephen.

Overall this is a good Dark Star. I am not sure if its in my favorites. It is up there though. Port Chesters Dark Star blew me away. This one sounded like the band was having fun which leads to somewhat of a shorter passage. However, after this whole project is done I will post my "Must Listen Dark Star List".

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I was curious to see how much I have left. I am pretty sure I lost count somewhere while I was counting. Either way around 200 more left to listen to and review!!! This is taking a little longer than I was hoping for. (In between taking a break from the dead earlier this year and moving and otherwise just lazy) Either way it will be finished so keep coming back to this thing we like to call Dark Star Project. When its finished I will take an afternoon and put it all in order in an easy to read guide.